The first thought I had as I sat down to reflect on Jack's life and our life since his birth and death was "I share the same picture every year". But that is the reality of our situation. We have a finite number of pictures of Jack.
But then, we ALL have a finite number of pictures, we ALL have a finite time here on Earth. So we should live our lives in light of eternity. Our focus and priority should be living a life that honors and points people to God. It is so easy in our busy world to walk through day after day after day with intention of doing this but thinking 'I can do that tomorrow'. I know I can certainly get in the mode of nose to the grindstone, go go go and forget to look up and look around and SEE the people around me.
Losing a child continues to impact our lives daily. I love the way it is described in Every Moment Holy Volume II:
"You have left in my heart
a hole as wide
as the world, my child,
and as long as the rest of my life."
Yet now, 9 years later, we can see small ways how God is using Jack's life and death for HIS good. We will not know, this side of eternity, the why behind this but we do know that Jack's life is not wasted. And he has had more of an impact in this world and in our lives than many people who live to adulthood. I hope today that hearing that does not make you feel guilty or anxious but gives you hope. If God can use our grief and use the short life of a little baby to impact the world then he can certainly use your life as well! He desires to do so!
One way we remember Jack's life is through doing things in his memory that impact children and families in our area. Two organizations that are close to our heart are the Big House Foundation and the Food Bank of East Alabama. Descriptions and links to donate if you feel led to do so are below:
"Our mission is to connect the needs of foster families with the generosity of the community through the love of Jesus Christ. We aim to impact the lives of children in foster care in a positive way through meeting their needs and serving their foster families. We are passionate about advocating for these families and educating the community on the needs of children in the foster care system."
